What is the deepest lake in Texas?

Of the lakes with a published depth, Lake Amistad is the deepest at about 217 ft.

Deepest lakes in Texas: 10 lakes ranked by depth

The deepest lakes in Texas with a published depth, deepest first. Deep lakes stay cold below the surface all summer, which is what trout and big predators want.

Deepest first

#	Lake	Deepest	Size
1	Lake Amistad	about 217 ft	64,900 acres
2	Lake Travis	about 210 ft	18,900 acres
3	Medina Lake	about 152 ft	5,430 acres
4	Possum Kingdom Lake	about 145 ft	15,600 acres
5	Lake Buchanan	about 132 ft	22,200 acres
6	Lake Meredith	about 127 ft	16,400 acres
7	Canyon Lake	about 125 ft	8,310 acres
8	Belton Lake	about 124 ft	12,400 acres
9	O. H. Ivie Reservoir	about 119 ft	19,100 acres
10	Toledo Bend Reservoir	about 110 ft	186,000 acres

1. Lake Amistad

Lake Amistad covers some 64,900 acres. It holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass and catfish. The deepest water is around 217 ft.

Lake Amistad today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Lake Travis

Lake Travis spreads over 18,900 acres of water. The fish here are largemouth bass, white bass, catfish and crappie. It goes down to about 210 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look.

Lake Travis today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Medina Lake

Medina Lake is a reservoir of some 5,430 acres. You will find it about 1.1 miles east of Lakehills. It is the Medina River behind Medina Dam. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass and white bass are the draw. At about 152 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Medina Dam, completed in 1913, was one of the largest dams in the United States at the time it was built. The water is known for being clear: lighter line and natural colours help.

Medina Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Possum Kingdom Lake

Possum Kingdom Lake is a reservoir of 15,600 acres of water. It lies near Palo Pinto. Morris Sheppard Dam holds it on the Brazos River. The fish here are largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass and catfish. At about 145 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Possum Kingdom Lake fills a canyon the Brazos River cut through the Palo Pinto Mountains, making it one of the deeper, clearer reservoirs in Texas.

Possum Kingdom Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Lake Buchanan

Lake Buchanan covers 22,200 acres. The lake is next to Buchanan Dam. It holds largemouth bass, striped bass, white bass and catfish. The deepest water is around 132 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Lake Buchanan, completed in 1937, was the first of the chain of Texas Highland Lakes formed along the Colorado River.

Lake Buchanan today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Lake Meredith

Lake Meredith spreads over 16,400 acres. It lies near Fritch. It is the Canadian River behind Sanford Dam. It holds walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and white bass. The deepest water is around 127 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look. Lake Meredith was formed by Sanford Dam on the Canadian River and is the centerpiece of Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in the Texas Panhandle.

Lake Meredith today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Canyon Lake

At 8,310 acres of water, Canyon Lake is a good-sized lake. It lies right by Canyon Lake. The fish here are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass and catfish. At about 125 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look. Canyon Lake was impounded by the Army Corps of Engineers on the Guadalupe River in 1964 for flood control and water supply. It is a clear lake, so long casts and a quiet approach pay off.

Canyon Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Belton Lake

Belton Lake covers 12,400 acres. The lake is next to Morgans Point Resort. It is the Leon River behind Belton Dam. The fish here are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass and striped bass. The deepest water is around 124 ft. Belton Lake, impounded in 1954 on the Leon River, is a Corps of Engineers reservoir serving the Temple-Killeen area.

Belton Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. O. H. Ivie Reservoir

At 19,100 acres of water, O. H. Ivie Reservoir is a big lake. You will find it about 9.4 miles west of Paint Rock. S.W. Freese Dam holds it on the Colorado and Concho Rivers. It holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass and catfish. It goes down to about 119 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. O.H. Ivie Reservoir was formed in 1990 at the confluence of the Colorado and Concho Rivers and is well known among anglers for its trophy largemouth bass.

O. H. Ivie Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. Toledo Bend Reservoir

At some 186,000 acres, Toledo Bend Reservoir is a huge piece of water. Largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill are the draw. At about 110 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has two point drop-offs and an upper arm: good places to start.

Toledo Bend Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

The clearest of them

Medina Lake, Possum Kingdom Lake, Canyon Lake and Ray Roberts Lake are known for clear water. On a clear lake fish see a long way: lighter line, natural colours and longer casts make the difference.

Fishing deep water

Deep lakes reward slow, vertical fishing: drop a jig or a spoon to the depth where fish show on the sonar and work it right there. In spring and fall the fish come shallow and any method works.